Sjöholm K, Carlsson LMS, Svensson PA, et al. - In order to determine the effect of bariatric surgery on cancer risk in patients with obesity and diabetes, researchers herein examined the long-term incidence of cancer after bariatric surgery and usual care among these patients in the matched prospective Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study.

• A total of 701 patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes were analyzed at baseline, 393 of whom underwent bariatric surgery and 308 who received conventional obesity treatment.

• The patients were followed up for a median time of 21.3 years (interquartile range 17.6–24.8 years, maximum 30.7 years).

• The incidence rate for first-time cancer was 9.1 per 1,000 person-years vs 14.1 per 1,000 person-years in patients with obesity and diabetes treated with bariatric surgery vs usual obesity care, respectively.

• Outcomes suggest that in patients with obesity and diabetes, bariatric surgery is linked with prevention of cancer.

• Reduced cancer risk was recorded in correlation with durable diabetes remission.